Chance Encounter
by 8belles
Summary: One more One Shot of "Olicity" (Sequel to Call Me Maybe?)- but she's still holding out. I really like the idea of Oliver having to work hard for her and him getting a taste of his own medicine.


Chance Encounter

The Saturday morning sun streamed into her bedroom and across her pale green sheets right into her face. Felicity tightened her eyelids against the onslaught of light and groaned slightly as if this was going to delay the coming of the day. Rolling over didn't help either because she knew she was facing her clock on her nightstand.

Cracking an eye, she saw 8:45am and was surprised. Typically she slept later than this preferring to be more of a night owl. Friday night she spent the whole evening with her microphone on her ear and game controller firmly in hand settling scores with other gamers in Black Ops 2- Zombies. With a smile of that memory, which put her into bed very early this morning, she recalled how her all-woman team had kicked ass of a group of guys from Texas. They were not amused.

Sleep still tugging at her brain and feeling a small blister on her right thumb from the controller stick, she closed her eyes and tried to drift off again. It was no use because something deep in her brain would not let her settle: the mystery of Walter Steele's disappearance and his stepson Oliver Queen.

Why did this man torment her mind even on her day off? He hadn't called her back or stopped by her office since his epic fail of a "date" two weeks ago. She was fine with that, although she still expected an apology from him. It was the least he could do after that fiasco. Oliver emailed her a few innocuous things like could she develop liquor accounting/distribution software to help his bartenders at his club keep from over dispensing and undercharging, or could she do a quick update to his Arrow Cave. Both were menial, quick tasks that took her less than a few hours of work total. Otherwise, he left her alone.

Felicity used all her free time to search for anything related to Walter. She hacked all the hospitals and police precincts in a five hundred mile radius for a man of his description. Looking at the flight records of the Queen fleet of private jets was easy enough, but no leads there. Scouring credit card activity seemed too scandalous even for Felicity, but she did it anyway because Walter was someone worth finding. " Thea forged her mom's signature for a trip to the liquor store? "Felicity had been shocked finding that tidbit. She was equally galled when she saw what on-line stores Thea frequented that were not Victoria's Secret. Felicity would never be able to look at Oliver's "little" sister the same way again.

" Holy shit!" she exclaimed, blue eyes wide, her blood running like ice the day she picked through Oliver's credit history, " Cartier!?" She saw a five-carat diamond solitaire that was purchased just the previous month. The date coincided with the week he revealed to her that he was the Arrow. At that point, Felicity stopped poking through the Queen credit scores too terrified of what else she'd find in that crazy skeleton filled closet.

As these memories poured over in her semi conscious mind, she made the decision to get up out of bed and take a shower. Her curly blonde hair was a tumult of frizziness like a poodle had perched on her head. Pushing her ever-sliding glasses up her nose, she brushed her teeth and tamed her hair. Quick in and out shower, a cute spring dress and she felt surprisingly buoyant for going to bed only a few hours earlier.

The sun still was cheerful to her and it made her decide to grab breakfast at the local coffee shop down the street from her apartment. Cherry red lipstick in the mirror at her door and a clutch in her hand with her ever-present tablet PC, she was ready to take on the morning.

Brews for You was a little bistro she frequented when she had nothing else to do or someone to do it with, which was often. _Men just aren't ready for you_, Felicity, she told herself. _They aren't ready for a kick ass programmer like you, girl. _

" Felicity! Good Moring to my favorite cyborg!" Burt, the main barista, greeted her with a large smile. He was an older man, old enough to be Felicity's father, thick and stocky with a bushy black mustache tinted with white. He had given up trying to set her up with other eligible men a long time ago, but he had given it a genuine try.

Felicity responded in kind, but with slightly less enthusiasm, " I'm not a cyborg, Burt."

" Then why do you never leave that thing at home?" he gestured to the tablet in her hand. " Just be a beautiful girl who is out enjoying a nice morning!"

Felicity shrugged and felt like Linus from _Charlie Brown_ being criticized for having a technological security blanket with her at all time. "Surprise me…. Outside today. " She said to him and paid for her breakfast. Burt gave her a nod like it was a wise decision to sit outside and made change for her.

Walking out, she looked down to scan her smart phone and missed the person coming in. They collided midstride and Felicity's nose ended up buried in the chiseled chest of Oliver Queen. Reflexively, she closed her eyes, arms crushing upward to protect her tablet and the phone she was just reading but she could smell his cologne and feel the hard muscle under his shirt. _I wish I was dead_, she thought quickly before she had a chance to open her eyes and back up.

" Felicity! Are you alright?" Oliver had a gentle concerned look on his face as his had had reflexively held her elbows to steady her.

She looked at him like she was a fly that had just hit a brick wall, " F-f… fine. Just fine. Sorry for that."

" No, I should have been watching out where I was going. My apologies." He replied kindly and Felicity realized he was still holding her arms and her glasses were slipping down her nose as usual. The bistro's patrons were now a willing audience to this scene and Felicity could see some smart phones popping out with cameras activated. She made a fast mental note to scour the Internet for any images of her and Oliver and to destroy them with a vengeance and then disable these strangers' accounts.

Pulling back, she dislodged herself from his grip as gracefully as she could and adjusted her spectacles, " Ok. Nice… to… well see you later." She ducked around him and headed to the door. The room just became a bit too small for her taste.

"Felicity, wait!" Oliver pursued her out the door as Burt observed from behind the counter, deciding to start with coffee for two and a choice of fresh bread and fruit.

She was half way down the block when she realized that she was running away from Oliver Queen, her boss, whom she should have _no _reason to run from and she had paid for her food already. Lastly, she really could use a cup of coffee. Turning on her heel, it was Oliver's time to get out of her way lest they crash again. "Whoa, Felicity!" he exclaimed using his expert reflexes to dodge her sudden change of direction.

She looked at him with a "Well?" expression, arms across her chest with her tablet firmly over her heart.

" Hey, who are you running from?" he said and she noted the tiny sheen of perspiration at his hairline.

" I, well I thought I had left something at home. Then, I recalled I had it with me and turned." She said succinctly and moved past him to return to a table at the bistro. Oliver tagged along though she did not ask him to.

" Mind if I join you?" he queried carefully as she chose a table under a nice parkway tree, which made just enough shade.

" It appears you will anyway. Who am I to say no to the mighty Oliver Queen?" She retorted, sitting down and looking up at him.

His expression darkened as he took a seat, " You know you could cut me some slack."

" Oh really? For what exactly?" Felicity asked as she gazed just past him to see a happy couple enjoying coffee together. Her heart hurt just a little.

" I just don't think I deserve such abuse from you. Or at least I can't figure out why you're so mad." He replied as his hands slid forward on the table towards hers. Felicity carefully pulled hers back.

Burt appeared with two steaming mugs of coffee and his breakfast selection, careful to chose fruits and breads that would not produce any awkward messes. Felicity thanked him sarcastically as she caught the glint in his eye, which he augmented with a wink.

Oliver picked his up, sans sugar and cream, and let the ball sit in Felicity's court. Sipping carefully, he kept his eyes on her.

" Mad? I'm not mad." She lied but tried to look casual about it.

" You're horrible at lying and sarcasm." Oliver said after swallowing his sip.

" Well maybe you're not perceptive enough." Came her retort followed by a sip of coffee, two sugars first.

He sat back, throwing an arm over the back of the chair and gazed darkly at her. Women near by almost fainted or cast dirty looks at Felicity. What was it in him that was so drawn to this woman?

He inhaled a breath and blew it out, " Ok. I am sorry about the diner. I am sorry about talking to Dig about you. I am sorry for anything else I may have done to you now or in the future."

The corners of her mouth perked up slightly at the last sentence, "or in the future." Selecting a piece of banana bread and a few neatly peeled orange sections she made him wait for her response.

" Oliver, you're a great guy." She began and watched his face run through a range of emotions because he knew exactly what she was going to say," But stick with girls like Laurel, not me." That last bit hurt her pride to say, but she did it for her own good.

His eyes narrowed and he couldn't decide if he should yell or throw things or interrogate her right there, " What do you mean, 'girls like Laurel'?"

Before she could hold her tongue and think she blurted out, " Oliver, I am not your type. You are not mine."

" That is utterly ridiculous!" he hissed at her leaning in to try and contain his emotion. Is this what it felt like to all the girls he had given this speech to over the years? He had a new appreciation.

" No, it's completely true. You don't need a girl like me…. Well except to update your horrible computer networks and keep the cyberpunks from destroying your Internet presence and –" She was about to ramble on when she suddenly felt his hands holding her head firmly but gently and his lips on hers.

She could taste the bitter coffee on his mouth and let her eyes slide closed despite her best attempt of keeping them open. It had been so long since someone had kissed her and the feeling was fresh and new as if it was her first. Burt watched from the window and gave the busboy a high-5.

The pressure between them released from this rather innocent of kisses as he let her head go, sitting back down in his chair, a rather pleased look on his face. Felicity slowly leaned back almost hesitant to let the moment go before reality slapped her in the back of her head. _I just was kissed by Oliver Queen!_ Her brain screamed, _you idiot!_

She was sure that her eyes were as big as dinner plates as she looked at him. " No. No… NO. " Felicity stated, almost panicked. Grabbing up her things, Oliver straightened up quickly sensing her impending flight. Instead of running, she looked him straight on, her blue eyes a hurricane blue, " Don't you ever do that to me again. Don't be the Prom King who is making a mockery of the class geek. I am not your toy!"

Calmly, she stood and carefully took another sip of her coffee. Holding her clutch and tablet gracefully, she walked dignified past all the jealous faces that had just witnessed the spectacle. Oliver Queen sat alone staring into space, hand holding his chin, coffee growing cold. The kiss was a delicious memory, better than he had imagined.

Burt was still in the window, crestfallen. The busboy patted him on the shoulder and told me maybe next time. There was always time for another chance encounter.


End file.
